Children's charities have warned that the charging plan would deter some parents and carers from seeking council help. Photograph: T.M.O.Pictures / Alamy/Alamy

Some children could be forced to help meet the costs of being taken into care under a proposed local authority initiative that immediately came under fire from child protection campaigners.

The idea to shift social care costs onto parents, carers and even children themselves if they are over 16 comes from Worcestershire county council which has put the idea out to consultation. If carers and children do not comply with the new initiative they could face legal action, the local authority has warned.

Certain groups of children will remain exempt from the proposed charging regime, which could land youngsters or their carers with bills of up to £10,000 a year. The scheme would affect children placed in voluntary care and the council will still pay for statutory child protection, adoption services and for services for young offenders and those involved in anti-social behaviour.

Social workers will be expected to help assess whether parents or children can afford to pay. Chargeable services include the involvement of a social worker, accommodation, advice and guidance, family support, family group conferences and activities outside of the home.

The council acknowledges "the point at which a child becomes accommodated can be quite traumatic and it is recognised that this may be a difficult time to start a financial assessment".

"There are rare cases where parents who can offer their children a home again refuse to do so, and this policy also allows us to ask those parents for a contribution towards the cost of their care," said Siobhan Williams, head of children's social care. "If a family are in crisis they would not be charged for services."

Barnardo's and the NSPCC said they fear the scheme could deter parents and carers from seeking much-needed help from the council.

"It has the potential to prevent parents seeking help at the earliest opportunity which will be bad for those children and means their problems will get worse," said Tom Rahilly, head of strategy and development for looked-after children at the NSPCC.

The council said there are very limited cases when it would be considered appropriate to seek a contribution from a young person.

"Even where sufficient monies are available to the child, the local authority will need to consider whether charging the child for services received would impact on the chances of future and sustained independence," the draft guidelines state.